Optical and mechanical properties of optically transparent poly(methyl methacrylate) composites at elevated temperatures

Miscellaneous · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:7039376

Lin, H

Highly transparent poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) composites were made by carefully matching the refractive index of the glass fiber reinforcement with the PMMA matrix using a hot pressing method. Composites containing 10.4 vol% unidirectional glass fiber and 0.68 mm in thickness had an optical transmission of 92% in the visible region. The room temperature tensile strength of the composites in the direction of the fiber was twice that of pure PMMA and the strength-to-weight ratio was increased about 1.7 times. The decrease in tensile strength with temperature for the composite followed the rule of mixtures. The transparency of the composites is temperature dependent because of the different temperature coefficient of refractive index for the glass fiber and PMMA. Thermal aging at temperatures near T{sub g} of the PMMA matrix caused dimensional changes and a reduction in optical transmission and clarity. The temperature where aging commences can be shifted from 100 to 115 C by eliminating low T{sub g} material(s) in the composite by hot pressing at higher temperature.

• Research Organization: Missouri Univ., Rolla, MO (United States)
• OSTI ID: 7039376
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Thesis (Ph.D.)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
FIBERGLASS
PMMA
AGING
HOT PRESSING
LIGHT TRANSMISSION
MATRIX MATERIALS
MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES
OPACITY
REFRACTIVE INDEX
REINFORCED MATERIALS
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0273-0400 K
TENSILE PROPERTIES
THICKNESS
DIMENSIONS
ESTERS
FABRICATION
MATERIALS
MATERIALS WORKING
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POLYACRYLATES
POLYMERS
POLYVINYLS
PRESSING
TEMPERATURE RANGE
360603* - Materials- Properties
360606 - Other Materials- Physical Properties- (1992-)